


How A Cat Became The Elephant In The Room

by spacewitchqueen (vixy)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Miscommunication
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-09
Updated: 2018-12-09
Packaged: 2019-08-29 14:50:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16746061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vixy/pseuds/spacewitchqueen
Summary: Armitage Hux has been thinking lately that Kylo Ren has not been a good boyfriend; forgetting their anniversary might not have been a big deal but the present he decides to bring for Hux just might be. Can they work things out?





	How A Cat Became The Elephant In The Room

**Author's Note:**

  * For [twitch](https://archiveofourown.org/users/twitch/gifts).



It was beginning to look a lot like Armitage Hux was going to spend the holidays alone. His so-called boyfriend was never around these days. _“It’s part of the job, Armie, why can’t you understand that?”_ and when he was around they always ended up arguing or straight up fighting over nothing anyway. Maybe it was for the best if Kylo decided to go away for the holidays, Hux thought bitterly, he didn't particularly enjoy that time of year and the last thing he needed was to have additional boyfriend-stress, if Kylo really wasn't showing up... Whatever, it was fine, Hux didn’t care. And yet. And yet he very well knew he did.

Armitage checked the time on his phone for the fifth time in as many minutes and huffed, sadness giving way to impatience and annoyance. He squeezed the slim phone in his hand until it hurt. “Deep breaths,” he told —more like, commanded— himself. Kylo said he’d come, maybe he was caught in traffic, maybe something had happened to him. Armitage bit his lip, anger turning into worry. He had already pressed the call button when his doorbell rang.

 

“Hey, you,” Kylo said cheerfully and leaned in to kiss him. Hux stepped back almost immediately.

“What kept you?”

“Oh, I lost track of time.”

“You forgot our anniversary, didn’t you?”

“I didn’t! I was just busy, alright? Look, I got you a present.” Kylo pushed a small box into Armitage’s hands. The lid fell off and a tiny orange kitten popped its head; it looked dirty, unhealthy.

“A cat?”

“Yeah, it’s a kitten. Cute, right?”

“A cat.” Armitage looked down to the box. “Kylo, do you ever, ever, listen to me?”

“Of course!” Hux’s nostrils flared. “I… do?”

“No. No, I don’t think you do. If you did you would know that I am allergic to cats.”

“I’m sorry, Armie, look we’ll get rid of it ok? I’ll put it back where I found...”

“You brought a stray cat into my house?” Hux nearly dropped the box. “Where did you find it, Kylo, in the trash? Along with what you think of our relationship?”

“No!”

“Get out.”

“No, listen. I just, I forgot about today, ok? And I didn’t want to come see you empty handed and I saw the kitten and it was cold and hungry and it kinda reminded me of you.” The look on Hux’s eyes told Kylo only too clearly that he should stop talking. “I’m sorry.”

“Just go.” Hux turned his back on Kylo and didn’t turn back until he heard the door slamming shut behind him. The kitten meowed and stirred in the box. Hux looked down and stroked its head. He could feel his eyes watering, he told himself it was just his allergy.

 

Hux’s phone rang incessantly that day. He refused to even look at it, he knew it was Kylo and he was still too mad to talk to him. When he finally did check his phone he found dozens of missed calls, messages on every app and even a couple of emails. Hux sighed and played the last voicemail Kylo had left.

“Hux, I know you’re still angry at me but I need to ask you a favor…” Hux paused the message. Angry? No, he was furious and Kylo had the nerve to call him asking for a favor before even thinking about apologizing? Something brushed against his ankle. The kitten was looking up at him meowing as loud as it could. “Right, you must be hungry. I cannot deal with Kylo right now so let’s take you to the vet first and then I’ll get you something to eat, and then we’ll see if I still have a boyfriend.”

The next day, when Hux was feeling calmer he read all of Kylo’s messages and finished listening to the voicemail. Kylo did eventually say he was sorry and the favor he wanted to ask Hux was to please come with him to his parent’s house for Christmas dinner. That was not such an outrageous request in itself, what hurt Hux was how Kylo said he didn’t want his family to find out they’d broken up and have to explain to why and how he said he’d rather face Hux’s wrath for a few days. “So we’re really over.” Hux wanted to call Kylo, to talk about whatever had happened to them. Instead, he just texted him he’d go, thinking it might be the last time they’d be together.

 

A week after that Hux was waiting for Kylo again. Kylo arrived two hours later than they’d agreed, Hux was already thinking Kylo had changed his mind about taking him. Just as he was thinking this, Kylo appeared. Hux thought Kylo looked apologetic and even a little subdued but he felt too awkward himself to say anything other than “Hello” as he got in the car. Kylo raised an eyebrow when Hux put a bag in the back seat of the car instead of the trunk but he only said “Sorry.”

When Hux started feeling overwhelmed by the silence —which happened in about five minutes—, he started fidgeting with the radio trying to find something decent to listen to.

“Your hands are all scratched.” Kylo was looking at Hux’s hands out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah, Millie doesn’t really like being in the pet carrier.”

“Who?”

“Millicent. Millie.” Kylo turned to Hux with a lost look. “The kitten!” Hux pointed to the bag in the back seat.

“You kept it?”

“What was I supposed to do? Throw her out just because I’m allergic? It’s not her fault.”

“You could have taken her to an animal shelter or…” Hux glared at him. “...or just take some Clarityne, I guess.”

They remained silent for a while. Hux knew they could easily go all of the trip without talking, but he didn’t want to. He waited some more until he accepted the idea that if he wanted conversation he’d have to initiate it.

“So how’s the band?”

“Fine.” Kylo mumbled.

“Just fine?” Hux pressed.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Are you working on some new songs?”

“Everyone is going home for the holidays so there’s not a lot to work with,” Kylo snapped.

“Is everything alright? I mean, with the band, you…”

“Phasma is getting married, she’s talking about leaving the band, happy?” Kylo interrupted Hux.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Right.”

 

Hux really was sorry. He knew how much music —and his band— meant to Kylo and true, he was not thrilled about the long tours and odd hours but he understood it, he’d never be happy about something bad happening to Kylo or the band. He gave up trying to talk about it, turning to look out the window gloomily until he felt hungry. It was then that he remembered something.

“I forgot Millie’s food.”

“What?”

“We have to look for a store.”

“We’re in the middle of nowhere!”

“Are you suggesting I let her starve? Turn back! I think we passed a gas station like 20 minutes ago.”

“That was an hour ago and what makes you think they’ll have cat food?”

“They will.”

“Hux.”

“Don’t look at me like that! It’s not like I planned to sabotage your trip, I’m not used to having a pet, ok? I forgot.” Hux stared at Kylo. Kylo took a deep breath, glanced at his watch, gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white and took the next U-turn.

It turned out the gas station they’d seen —which was only 25 minutes away after all, take that Mr. One-Hour-Ago!— was closed. They had to drive 30 more minutes before finding an open store. Hux went in as fast as he could to buy the cat food and Kylo had his foot on the gas before Hux had fastened his seatbelt again.

 

Not even ten minutes later they had to stop again. Flat tire. Kylo was able to stop the car at the side of the road and then he cursed loudly.

“It’s not a big deal, Kylo, we should be able to change the tire.”

“Yeah, we should be, if there was a spare.”

“You don’t have a spare tire?”

“I think that might have been it.”

“So call your insurance company,” Hux suggested. Kylo laughed.

“Is your phone working?” Hux pulled out his phone, no signal. Kylo did the deep breathing again to calm himself down.

“Alright, I’m gonna walk back to the store to call for help. You stay here with Mildred.”

“Millicent.”

“Exactly.” Kylo got out of the car.

 

A long hour went by. Hux gave Millie some food and just as he was starting to feel anxious —fine, worried about Kylo— lightning lit up the sky. “Oh no, no, no.” Not a minute later a heavy curtain of rain was falling. Hux couldn’t see anything outside the car, he had half a mind to go looking for Kylo, it’d been too long. He was thinking if it would be best to leave Millie or tuck her inside his jacket when someone banged on the window. It was Kylo. Hux unlocked the car.

“Well, the insurance guy said it might take a while for them to get here, you know, the holidays.” Kylo was soaked, his hair and clothes were dripping water all over the seat and he was shivering. “And then of course, the rain won’t help.” He sneezed. “Let’s eat something.”

“Good idea.” Anxiety had made Hux forget how hungry he was but now his stomach was positively rumbling. “What did you bring?”

“Me? You’re the one who went to the store to buy food!”

“For Millicent, remember? You were literally. Just. There.”

“I had some more pressing things in my mind! You’re the one who always brings food.”

“I only brought water and a bag of chips.”

“I suppose we could eat the cat’s food.”

Hux threw the bag of chips at Kylo, determined to stay mad at him, but he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him when he saw him shivering, teeth chattering.

“Take off your clothes.” Hux removed his jacket.

“Wow, are you really in the mood for that right now, Hux?”

“Don’t be stupid. What I meant was, you have to get out of those wet clothes or you won’t warm up.” Hux rolled his eyes but he was also blushing. He handed his jacket to Kylo. “Use that to dry yourself.” He moved to the back seat with some difficulty and opened the trunk from the inside to get Kylo some dry clothes.

“Don’t peek now.”

“Jerk.”

 

Their mood lightened up a bit after that but there was still something awkward between them, heavy. The elephant in the room was their breakup. Hux wanted to talk about it but he was afraid Kylo would not want to.

“It looks like we’re gonna spend the night here.” Kylo yawned.

“Your mom must be worried.”

“Yeah, but she’ll love to see you and I bet she’ll love Millie.”

“She’s gonna love how you took her out of the trash.” Hux snorted.

“I told you, she reminded me of you.”

“Abandoned and pathetic?” Hux hissed.

“Orange and cute,” Kylo said at the same time. He turned around in his seat to look at Hux. “Hux, you’re not pathetic. Not a chance. Listen, I know you hate me now but, let’s try not to fight when we’re at my parents house, I don’t want them to find out I blew the most meaningful relationship I’ve ever had. They already think I’m a failure for choosing music over a ‘serious career’ so, give me some time to tell them this.”

“Sure. Whatever.” Hux wiped a tear from his cheek. “It’s not me who wanted to break up anyway.”

“Thanks… it was not?”

“No. I was mad at you, sure. I’ve been feeling like you didn’t care about me anymore but I know you’ve been busy and I knew you loved me, well, I thought so.”

“I do! But when you told me to get out of your house I just thought… I assumed it was over and that’s why I said so when I left that message. I thought you’d broken up with me.”

“I thought _you_ ’d broken up with me.”

Kylo jumped out of the car and got in the back seat with Hux. It was cramped but they didn’t care. They kissed until they were both out of breath. Then Hux started berating Kylo for getting wet again.

“To think we could’ve saved ourselves so much grief and awkwardness today.” Kylo laughed. “I’m sorry, Hux, for everything. I know I haven’t been a good boyfriend but thinking I had lost you was bad enough, I don’t want to really lose you. I promise I will be more present. I will be here for you.”

“And I for you.”

A light appeared behind them. The insurance company had arrived. Everything seemed to be getting so much better. In a couple of hours they’d be with Mr. and Mrs. Organa-Solo and they’d have a wonderful time and they wouldn’t have to fake any of it.

“We might have to make a very different announcement to my parents,” Kylo said, tracing a circle around Hux’s ring finger.

“Can’t wait.” With the Holidays Crisis averted, they shared a smiley kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I hope you like this little story, I tried to use as many Likes as I could. Happy Holidays!


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